La Tour d'Argent Paris
"La Tour d'Argent is a theatre within a theatre, opening onto the most beautiful stage in the world: Paris..."
Claude Terrail
La Tour d'Argent is also the guarantor of the French art of good living and of warm hospitality. The art of service in the dining room, through precise and rigorous gestures, is always fascinating and contributes to your exceptional experience when spending time in our establishment. Each guest is welcomed as if they were in a family home, with the mission of making each second exceptional and unforgettable. This quest for excellence, this attention to detail, this sense of ceremony, all contribute to the reputation of our restaurant.
La Tour d'Argent is also one of the most iconic cellars in the world. Historic bottles, glorious treasures, have found their ideal setting in our cellars. Among the 300,000 bottles that lie here are collectors' items and grand crus from outstanding years. Château Citran 1858 is the oldest wine in our cellar. David Ridgway was the Head Sommelier from 1981, and it is thanks to him that the Tour d'Argent has one of the richest wine cellars in France and probably worldwide. His expertise, known and recognised throughout the world, and the knowledge that he provides to our sommeliers contribute to providing our guests with a culinary experience of the highest level.
Romy Schneider and Claude Terrail in 1964
1582
Between the Seine and the Bernardins Convent, an elegant inn opens under the name La Tour d'Argent. Henri III inaugurates the use of the fork. At the time of the Sun King, Versailles comes to La Tour. The Duke of Richelieu offers a whole beef prepared in 30 different ways. In Vitré, Madame de Sévigné misses La Tour d'Argent's hot chocolate.
1890
Frédéric Delair creates the recipe for “Canard au sang” (pressed duck), now called the “Caneton Frédéric Delair” (duckling Frédéric Delair), and lays down the rules: each “Caneton” served is to be given a number. In 1914, there is a new master of the Tour d'Argent, André Terrail, who adds to the heritage Adolphe Dugléré's secret recipes and the Café Anglais rare bottles, a gift from Claudius Burdel to his daughter for their wedding.
1936
André Terrail, then the owner, decides to add a floor to the restaurant, giving the dining room an unobstructed view of Paris: Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Ile Saint-Louis and the Seine, an exceptional panorama which it still enjoys today and which makes our restaurant one of the most romantic and iconic places in Paris.
1947
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Claude, André's son, succeeds his father in 1947, taking over La Tour d'Argent's destiny. During a memorable celebration, on 29th April 2003, the millionth duck is served! Inducted by his father in 2006, André Terrail is now taking over the legacy, beginning a new chapter in the illustrious history of this establishment.
2019
André Terrail entrusts the reins of the kitchen to Chef Yannick Franques, giving him carte blanche. Chef Franques offers a traditional cuisine that he has reinvented and that has been honoured by food lovers around the world for several years.
Each historic restaurant has its story, as we know, and ours is no exception. For more than a century now, through the vicissitudes of history, it has maintained a tradition and an honour and has become almost a cult. Because the age of the establishment and the authenticity of the anecdotes count less, in the end than the living passion that André Terrail, then after him, his son Claude and now André, have maintained. While chandeliers and personalities fade away, and menus and fashions change, the table always remains set at the Tour d'Argent.
Maria Callas, 1958
Reine Elisabeth, 1948
Grace Kelly, 1974
Saturday 30th April, the Tour d’Argent closed its doors for a huge renovation of nine months piloted by Franklin Azzi Design. The longest and most complete works of its history since 1936 when the restaurant was moved to the sixth floor.
Our House will reopen its doors on the 1st February 2023.
